* * *

“Can’t we go out now?” Ronen asked hopefully.

The Grand Duke’s voice cut through the rain.

“No, push the plank a bit more forward. That way, it’ll be easier for the wheels to roll out. And if there’s any solid wood in the supply cart, bring it over. This won’t be enough to handle the weight.”

Hearing that, Ronen became even more restless.

“Ed, can’t I go out and help him too?” he pleaded.

Ed carefully buttoned up Ronen’s raincoat.

He knew it would be best to keep Ronen out of the rain to avoid catching a cold, but seeing his eager expression made it hard to say no.

‘The rain does seem to have weakened a lot…’

Just then, shouts of success echoed from outside, signaling that the supply wagon had finally been freed.

Ed, after some hesitation, adjusted Ronen’s raincoat hood and said, “Alright, shall we step out for a bit?”

---

After their short excursion, Ed helped Ronen out of his raincoat upon returning to the carriage and handed a towel to the Grand Duke.

“Here’s a towel, Your Grace.”

The Grand Duke nodded in thanks. “Thank you, Ed.”

Knock, knock.

There was a knock on the carriage door.

Ed opened it to find Irtel, who had gone to scout the area.

“There’s an old log cabin nearby, used by hunters. It should be a good place to rest for a while, Your Grace,” Irtel reported.

The Grand Duke assessed the safety of the location and gave a nod.

“Very well, we’ll do that.”

The carriage started moving again, the rain still pouring, though fortunately the cabin was not far.

Despite concerns about whether the cabin could accommodate everyone, they discovered two smaller huts nearby as well.

“We’ll gather in the main cabin for a meal first, then decide our next steps,” the Grand Duke announced.

“Yes, Your Grace!” the knights responded.

Ed and Ronen followed the Grand Duke and his men to the log cabin.

Inside, the space was surprisingly roomy.

Once the lamps were lit, the darkness lifted, and the northern knights set about laying down sleeping mats, warming themselves by the fire, and sharing stories.

“Being forced to rest because of the unexpected rain might end up helping us move faster later,” one knight remarked.

“Yeah, we’ve been ahead of schedule anyway, so it’s no big deal,” another agreed.

Ed and Ronen, settled in a corner, accepted bowls of soup and bread from Jaynon.

“Here, Lord Ronen. It’s warm soup and soft bread. You must be chilled from the rain, so please eat up,” Ed said.

“Thanks, Ed!”

Ed gave Ronen extra bread and glanced around.

The knights, tired from moving the wagon, were already preparing to rest, except for those on watch duty.

The Grand Duke returned and announced, “We’ll stay here for the night. If anyone needs sleeping gear, get it from the supply wagon. If there’s not enough, talk to Irtel.”

“Yes, Your Grace!” The knights replied robustly.

The Grand Duke then guided Ed and Ronen to one of the smaller huts.

The firewood inside crackled warmly, and soft sleeping mats were laid out on the floor.

“Stay here and rest. I’ll take care of some matters and be back,” the Grand Duke instructed.

“Yes, Your Grace,” Ronen replied, his voice bright, while Ed bowed as the Grand Duke left.

After the Grand Duke departed, Ed stayed by the door, and Ronen, yawning, asked, “Aren’t you tired, Ed?”

“Oh, no, I’m alright. Are you feeling sleepy, Lord Ronen?”

“Mm-hmm, I’m really sleepy.”

“Then you should rest. If the rain stops by morning, we might have to leave early.”

“Okay.”

Ed tucked Ronen into a sleeping mat, making sure the blanket was snug, then dimmed the lamps in the hut.

He moved to the fireplace, adding more logs to keep the fire alive.

‘I hope the rain stops by morning.’

Ed stared at the crackling flames, lost in thought.

As he absentmindedly prodded the firewood, the door creaked open.

Turning, he saw the Grand Duke, raincoat dripping, stepping inside.

Ed stood to fetch a towel, but the Grand Duke waved him off. “You’re still awake, Ed?”

“Yes, I was just keeping an eye on the fire before resting.”

“You must be exhausted.”

“And Your Grace? You must be even more tired from dealing with all the commotion.”

The Grand Duke placed a small kettle near the fire and smiled.

“Thank you for saying that, Ed. The others never bother to speak kindly like that.”

“I’m sure your knights respect and care for you, even if they don’t say it.”

The Grand Duke chuckled at Ed’s sincerity.

“Hearing that from you eases my fatigue.”

At the same time, the scent of rain-soaked grass drifted over from the Grand Duke, and Ed inhaled sharply.

The fragrant smell tickled his nose, and the tension slowly built in Ed’s head, which had been idly gazing at the fire.

‘…Ah, right. This isn’t the time to be lounging around.’

He got up from his seat, picked up the logs piled against the wall, and returned to the fireplace.

He carefully added more logs to ensure the Grand Duke’s damp body would dry well, tending to the flames with concern.

However, the fire didn’t blaze as vigorously as he had hoped, perhaps because the logs were slightly damp from moisture, and Ed grew anxious.

‘…The Grand Duke must be cold from having just come in, drenched from the rain.’

Growing restless, Ed moved to add more wood, but the Grand Duke, who had been drying his hair with a towel, noticed his worry and spoke.

“It’s all right, Ed. It’s warm enough already.”

“But the fire might go out like this,” Ed replied, softly shifting the burning logs and keeping a close eye on the flames.

The Grand Duke, noticing the poker tightly gripped in Ed’s hand, gestured lightly for it with a nod.

At first, Ed tilted his head, unsure of the meaning behind the gesture, but then he understood and handed the poker over.

“Ah, here. Thank you.”

The Grand Duke, instead of adding more logs, skillfully separated the burning pieces to stoke the fire. Ed blinked as he watched the flames grow stronger under the Grand Duke’s touch.

The Grand Duke noticed something in Ed’s expression that reminded him of Ronen.

Both had the same curiosity, their eyes lighting up whenever they encountered something new.

However, while Ronen was the type to try things out himself immediately, Ed seemed to prefer learning thoroughly and remembering, so as never to repeat the same mistake.

‘It’s probably because he’s lived on his own from childhood until adulthood,’ he thought, reflecting on Ed’s solitary upbringing. It was a sentiment the Grand Duke could relate to.

Watching Ed’s eyes follow the poker with focused intent, the Grand Duke explained, “At times like this, you open a path for the fire to breathe first, then add dried logs in the gaps.”

When he added logs that had dried out near the fire, the flames surged high, and a silent smile spread across Ed’s face as his worries finally melted away.

The Grand Duke watched that smile, the flickering firelight dancing over it, and pushed a few logs deeper into the flames.

“How was the meal earlier?” he asked.

“It was warm and delicious. The soup filled me up,” Ed replied.

“That’s a relief. I was worried the portion might be too small. Oh, I have sweet potatoes. Should we roast some?”

The Grand Duke took out a few sweet potatoes from the pouch where his raincoat was neatly folded.

Ed couldn’t help but smile.

Somehow, the sight of those round sweet potatoes in the Grand Duke’s hands, hands one would expect to wield a sharp sword or a smooth pen, struck Ed as endearingly cute, even if the thought felt slightly improper.

“Where did you get them?” Ed asked.

“Tens said that whenever we have a fire going like this, it’s best to roast some sweet potatoes,” the Grand Duke replied.

From the lack of dirt, it seemed Tens had brought them from a supply cart.

The Grand Duke carefully dug a small hole in the ashes, wrapped the sweet potatoes in leaves, and buried them.

The Grand Duke recalled the reports he had read about Ed as he noticed Ed observing the process with focused interest.

“You grew up in Uphill Village until you were eighteen, right?” he asked.

Ed replied, his memory brushing against the details of his past. “…Yes.”

He had lost his father there as a child and spent over a decade in an orphanage.

The Grand Duke held back further questions, understanding without needing to hear more.

* * *